Ch. 2 - The Wedding Banquet Is Cancelled

New Characters:

Xu Zimei - Lu Jingchen's niece 

Fu Nanyan - Gu Jinhan's best friend 

Fu Yiyang - Fu Nanyan's younger brother 

Mu Xingwei - Lu Jingchen's friend

“Uncle, it's me!" Xu Zimei answered, her voice ringing out brightly.

Every weekend, she'd show up early for tutoring sessions with Gu Jinhan. But this morning, she had found Lu Jingchen sprawled on the living room floor, disheveled and groggy.

Hearing her voice, he stirred and released his grip on her wrist before looking around the house. Gu Jinhan still hadn't returned. 

"Uncle, why are you sleeping on the floor? How could Gu Jinhan leave you like this?”

"Who allowed you to call your elders by their full names?"

"Sorry, I was wrong... I came to find Auntie for tutoring."

Lu Jingchen dragged himself to his feet, rubbing his temples.

What tutoring? Gu Jinhan wasn't even at home.

Xu Zimei glanced around. "Where's Auntie? I'm sitting for the college entrance exam this year, so she made me a personalised tutoring schedule every weekend. I want to get into Qing University, just like her.”

Without a word, Lu Jingchen took out his phone, transferred money to her account, and muttered, “Find yourself the best tutor in the city.”

“But no one teaches as well as Auntie! And the others don’t make me homemade snacks like she does either!” Xu Zimei argued, stomping her feet. 

Ignoring her protests, he turned and headed upstairs.

“She’s very busy right now and can’t spare you any time!”

“I get it. Auntie must be swamped with preparing for the wedding, right? She must be the happiest person alive for being able to marry you.”

Lu Jingchen froze mid-step.

In the past, no matter how heated their arguments used to get, Gu Jinhan would still come home early, light an incense, cook dinner, and tutored Xu Zimei without fail.

But this time...hah! She really hadn’t come back at all!

___

Lakeside Villa.

At the breakfast table, Fu Nanyan scrolled through her phone, messaging Gu Jinhan.

Fu Nanyan: Jinhan, I’ve just received the bridesmaid dress.

Gu Jinhan: Nanyan, I’m in Yiyang’s room helping him review his homework now!

Like a bolt of lightning, Fu Nanyan rushed into Fu Yiyang’s room. Sure enough, Gu Jinhan was there, patiently guiding Fu Yiyang through an advanced math problem. 

She had assumed that Gu Jinhan would’ve gone back to the home she shared with Lu Jingchen by now. After all, her life had revolved entirely around him and his family for years.

“You’re not going back to tutor Lu Jingchen’s niece?”

“Nope.”

Fu Nanyan nodded. “I’m taking some actors to auditions and contract meetings later, so I'll be swamped today. I have to head out now but if you’re free, please help keep an eye on Yiyang. His college entrance exam is coming up soon. If not, no worries, my uncle’s coming home soon anyway.”

“It’s fine, Nanyan. Go ahead, I’ll stay. I’ve got time."

“Thanks. I’ll try on the dress when I’m back—”

"Don’t bother. I’m not getting married anymore."

Nanyan froze. “Got it. The wedding’s off. But you’re still doing the long-term dating thing with him, right?”

Gu Jinhan did not respond but sighed softly. 

After Fu Nanyan left in a whirlwind, Fu Yiyang looked up from his books. 

“Sister Jinhan, why aren’t you and Brother Jingchen getting married anymore?”

"Children should only focus on their homework. Grown-up business can wait"

He was turning 18 that year.

___

Fu Yiyang worked on his homework all morning, and after lunch, he was ready to head to the basketball court.

"Sister Jinhan, come watch me play basketball!"

Gu Jinhan remembered that the venue she had booked for the wedding banquet was on that same street. Since the wedding was cancelled, she needed to cancel the reservation too.

"You go ahead, Yiyang. I have something else to take care of."

They left together but went their separate ways.

___

Jing City’s First Hotel 

Located in the heart of the central business district, Jing City’s First Hotel typically required reservations at least three months in advance for weddings. 

With the signed contract in her hand, Gu Jinhan met with the hotel manager and explained the reason for her visit.

The manager politely explained that only half the deposit could be refunded. Preparations had already begun and some items had already been purchased.

Gu Jinhan readily agreed without argument.

Just a few days ago, she had been swamped with wedding planning, handling every detail herself, from the dishes to be served at each table to the decoration of the venue.

Lu Jingchen had never once shown up.

Every day, she rushed to the hotel for banquet preparations, and at night, whenever she tried to discuss the wedding plans with him, he would always brush her off, using work as an excuse not to listen.

She had devoted herself so fully to the wedding preparations that she became painfully oblivious to the subtle signs that he no longer wanted to marry her.

After cancelling the contract, she walked out of the hotel, basking in the early summer sun and pausing to take in the view around her.

As Gu Jinhan passed by Nordin Law Firm, she saw many young professionals coming and going.

‘If only I had started working right after earning my graduate degree’, she thought. 

‘I’d probably be a full-fledged lawyer by now.’

What a shame that she had chosen a different path making incense instead, just to help Lu Jingchen sleep better.

Though she had already made a name for herself in that field, her original intention had been to help Lu Jingchen with his insomnia and headaches.

Her eyes landed on the bulletin board on the first floor: Now Hiring – Legal Interns. 

She hesitated for a moment, but eventually decided to try her luck and submitted her résumé.

After all, it had already been two years since she graduated and most of her peers already had a couple of years of experience under their belts.

The assistant took her résumé and informed her that they would contact her for an interview. 

Gu Jinhan politely bid the assistant goodbye and left the firm. On her way back, she stopped by a herbal shop and bought some ingredients for cooking soups. The same kind she’d always made to ease Lu Jingchen’s chronic headaches.

Every time she went shopping, she would pick up ingredients for him.

Every medicinal herb in their old home had been personally hand-selected by her.

She returned to the Lakeside Villa and carefully washed the ingredients before simmering them with care.

___

That evening, when Fu Nanyan returned home, she immediately changed and tried on the bridesmaid dress.

“Jinhan, this is incredible! The moment I put this on, I look like the most glamorous bridesmaid ever!”

Gu Jinhan smiled bitterly. "I’ve already sold my wedding dress."

“What?! You poured your heart into that gown and every detail of this wedding! You even used to say that as long as you could marry Lu Jingchen, you’d have no regrets.” Fu Nanyan exclaimed, as she tried to list out what Gu Jinhan used to tell her. 

Gu Jinhan fell silent for a moment. But instead of replying, she gestured toward the kitchen, “I made gastrodia pig brain soup. Yiyang already had some. Go have a bowl and take a rest. You've had a long day.”

Still in her dress, Fu Nanyan rushed to the kitchen.

She carried the soup, drinking it as she walked. It was rare for Jinhan to make this soup for her. It was so delicious it felt like a dish fit for the heavens. One sip of the soup brought an involuntary sigh.

"Jinhan, are you really not getting married?"

"I’m going to tutor Yiyang," Gu Jinhan said, disappearing before another word could be exchanged. She was clearly trying to dodge the question by quickly disappearing from view.

Fu Nanyan narrowed her eyes. "I’ll keep this bridesmaid dress for now!"

___

Lu Corporation – CEO’s Office

Lu Jingchen stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, a cigarette between his fingers, as he gazed out at the countless city lights below.

The bridal shop had called to inform him that Gu Jinhan had sold the white wedding dress and given away the red bridal gown.

Lawyer Zhang had also reported that all the cash, real estate, and cars listed in the prenuptial agreement had already been transferred to Gu Jinhan.

Additionally, the hotel had confirmed the cancellation of the wedding banquet with him.

Everything had been handled cleanly. Quietly. Without fuss.

Gu Jinhan had always been that way: graceful, orderly, never overstepping her boundaries. Not even once did he ever have to worry about a single thing.

But did she think such restraint and grace would win his favour and make him miss her? 

That by retreating, she could somehow return to his side and be his girlfriend again?

'Gu Jinhan, you really know how to play your cards, don’t you?'

The cigarette burned down to his fingers, and a sudden sting of pain snapped him out of his thoughts.

He had spaced out.

Just then, Mu Xingwei called, inviting him out for dinner.

They met at Jing City’s First Hotel, where several of their childhood friends had also gathered.

"Where’s Gu Jinhan? Why didn’t she come? This was supposed to be your wedding venue.” Someone teased.

Lu Jingchen’s face darkened.

"I know! Your virtuous wife must be at home making you that gastrodia pig brain soup!"

At those words, the dull throb in Lu Jingchen’s head flared up with even more intensity.

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